Uncoupling device for car-couplings.



H. M. RAM'SVAY& J. A. RIGKABAUGH. f

A UNOOUPLING DEVICE FOR UAB. UOUPLINGS.. 1113101.11011 HLM) ma. 21, 1913.

v.1, Q'7,.5()9,' 'Patented 11111111914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES /NVENTo/es 'UNITED STATES PATENT oEiiicE.v

HENRY M. RAMSA-Y, F ALTOONA, AND JUSTUS A. RICKABAUGH, OF PITTSBURGH,

` PENNSYLVANIA. A

UNCUIE'LIDIG DEVICE FOR ACAR-COUZEIJNGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application i'led February 21, 1913. Serial No. 750,026.

To all whom itmag/ concern Be it lrnownthat we, HENRY M. RAMSAY, of Altoona, iii the county yof Blair and State of Pennsylvania, and JUs'rUs 'AL RIGKA- BAUGH, of Pittsburgh, in the county of Al- .legheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Uncoupling Devices for Car-Couuncou line' devices for car cou linvs the n a i object of the invention being to so construct devices -of this character that they will readily adapt themselves tothe movements of which the coupling-head is susceptibleand so that the parts will always be in position to' be operated I'or raising the locking block or pin without danger of binding or of undue friction even though the member which directly engages the locking block or pin may become bent.

QA further object is to provide uncoupling devices which can be mounted in and to a. certain extent concealed by the end-sill of a steel car, or which can be applied to the insideface or the outside face or just-back ofv the end sill. A further object is to4 so construct uncoupling devices that they may be operated without necessity for a trainman to enter between cars, and so that, when manipulated from the side of a car, the operator will always pull outwardly or away from the car and thus obviate danger of falling between the cars in case of slipping,

A further object is to so construct unconpling devicesl -that they may be operated either from the side or the top of the car.

A further object is to construct the devices in such manner that they may be made to operate either a top lever,bottom lever, or side operating coupler, vwithout any material changes in the construction of the mechanism.

With these obiects in view, the invention consists' in certain novel features of construction andcombinations fof parts as hereinafter set forth` and pointed out in the .claims l In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view-of a portion of a car showing the sill.

lcured thereto, a: bell-crank-lever 15.

application of our improvements. I Fig. 2 is a view on the line affof Fig.- 1, Fig. 3 is a view on the line y-g/ of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a Viewl showing the devices in which .a bottom instead of a top lever is employed.

l represents the hollow or channeled endsillof a car; 2 the draft sills, .and 3 the coupling-head provided with a draw-bar passing freely through an elongated opening in the end-sill and pivotally connected to cross-bars or plates 4 5 secured to the draft-sills.

Suitable bearings 6-7 are secured to the end-sill for the accommodation of a shaft 8 passing through the front end wall of the The outer end of this shaft is b ent upwardly, forming an arm 9 which is made tubular to receive freely a shank 1'0 depending from theshort member 1l of an L- shaped lever 1.2. The long arm of lever 12 vprojects over the rear portion of the coupling head and passes freely-through elongated. eyes or loops 13 on the upper end of the locking block or pin 14. The rear end of the shaft 8 which may terminate within the hollow or channel end-sill l `has se- The aim 16 of this bell crank has attached thereto one end of a rod 17 ,-said rod extending beyond'one end of the end-sill and provided with a handho'1d18 to permit an operator to manipulatethe devices from the side of the car. crank 15 is horizontally disposed and to its freefend, the lower end of a rod 2O is att-ached,`--said` rod extending upwardly The arm v19 of the bellabove the top end of the car, where it is provided with a suitable handheld 21 whereby the operator may manipulate the devices from the top of the car.

It is apparent that when the shaft 8 is turned by the manipulation of either of the operating rods,-the upwardly projecting arm of said shaft will be moved laterally and the horizontal arm or lever 12 moved upwardly in-tlie` are of 'a circle, sliding freely through the eyes or loops 13 on the locking block 'or pin and causing the latter to be raisedy to release the knuckle ,of the coupling-head. By providing a telescopic and rotary connection between the arm 9 of the shaft 8 and the L-shaped lever 12, the latter will al ment of the coupling-head and its locking block or pin and permit the free manipu- Ways adapt itself to the position or'displacebinding between the parts even though the of the end sill or rearwardly of the same.

' will be provided at the bottom of the locklever 12 is fmployed to engage the loops on lation of the uncoupling devices to raise the locking-block or pin without friction or long armof the L-shaped lever 12 which engages the locking-block or pin, may become bent or more or lessdistorted.

In the above description, portions of the devices are referred to as being located within a hollow end sill, butit is evident that these devices may be applied to the outside In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, a top the top of the locking block orpin but. this arrangement may be reversed, and the lever made to operate as a bottom lever is shown at 12"1 Fig. la-in which event, loops 13a ing block or pin for the passage of said lever. t

With the use of our improvements, the nncoupling devicesrnay be operated either from the sideor from the top of the car and without necessity for the trainxnen to enter between the cars. When operated from the side, the pull will be in an outward direction., away from the car, vso that in case of slipping, there will be no danger of the trainman falling between the cars. when the vdevices are operated from the top of the car, the traimnan may occupy the same platform on which he stands to operate the hand brake,-thus lnaki g it possible for the trainman to uncoulile his car and still remain at his hand braleQ-a feature of great l safety, especially in yards where it usually f has been necessary for the brakelnanllto; climb down and uncouple his car and then l climb up to his brake mast..

Having fully described our invention what l we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. The combination with the end sill of a car and a car coupling having a locking block nr pin, of a rock shaft mounted transversely with respect to the end-sill and provided at its outer end with a tubular arm lying approximately parallel with the front wall of the sill, a lever having a revoluble connection with said tubular arm and having movable connection with the locking block or pin, another arm on said rock shaft, and an operating rod connected with said last-mentioned arm.

Q. The combination with the end sill of a car and a car coupling having a locking block or pin, of a rock shaft mounted transversely with respect to the end sill and pro vided at its outer end with a tubular arm lying approximately parallel with the freut wall of the sill, a lever having a revoluhd mounting in said tubulararm and movably connected with the locking block or pin,

another arm -on said rock shaft rearwardly of the front face of the end sill, and an operating rod disposed behind the front wall of the end sill and connected with said last mentioned arm.`

3. The combination with the end-sill of a car and a car coupling provided with a locking blocl; or pin having an eye at its upper end, of a' shaft mounted in said endsill and provided beyond the end sill with an'upwardly projecting arm, an L-shaped lever loosely connected with said arm and having its long member passing freely through the eye on the coupling block4 or pin. a bell-crank secured to said shaft within the end sill. and manually operable rods connected respectively to the respective arms of suul bell-crank.

ln testimony whereof, we have. signed this .-=pe -itical`1on 1n the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

lEXllY M. R. MSY. JL STLD A. lllCKLBlGI'l.

vWitnesses:

C. O. REA, vB. C. HANXA. 

